On December 3rd, the day of the 50th anniversary of RA National Hero Movses Gorgisyan, Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan, AF GS Head General Colonel Youriy Khachatourov, Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan, Gorgisyan family members, hero’s comrades-in-arms, Yerevan citizens visited Movses’s grave in Tsitsernakaberd and put wreaths and flowers there.

On December 3rd, Disabled Persons International Day, Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan visited disabled war veteran, Artsakh liberation war participant Habet Aghababyan.
H.Aghababyan was badly wounded in arms and legs on February 25, 1993. He spent six days lying in the battle field, survived by a miracle. His right leg and left foot were amputated.

Recently a History Competition was conducted among the students of military-sports colleges Tigran Mets (Tigran the Great), Monteh Melkonyan and pupils of educational complex Poqr Mher (Little Mher). The Competition was organized by the RA MOD Information & PR Department. The Jury headed by Department Deputy Head Felix Poghosyan assessed the participants’ knowledge.

On November 22nd, the birthday of fighter-volunteer Leonid Azgaldyan, who perished on June 21st, 1992 for liberation of Nagorno Karabakh from the Azeri invaders and was аwarded a posthumous decoration of 1st degree “Battle Cross”, the classroom of Basic military training of the school No. 80 after V.Vagharshyan was named after the hero. In this connection a solemn ceremony was organized, and L.Azgaldyan’s comrades-in-arms told schoolchildren their memories about Leonid.

The peculiarities of the current conscription which started on November 15th, are mechanisms improvements and increase of possibilities for protestation and violations revelation. About this RA Defense Minister stated in the interview to the State TV. “On the order of the Defense Minister under the aegis of the Public Council a commission is created which examines all the complaints of the citizens, takes appropriate decisions and presents to the corresponding bodies, – told S.Ohanyan. – Besides there is a “hot line” 1-88”.

I met Rudolf Khachatryan – one of the best painters of our times during his last visit to Armenia. When I asked an official of the Ministry of Culture to arrange our meeting, he said that the painter was going to have limited contacts and that he would have an interview only with the correspondent of “Izvestia”. However, I hurried to Armenia-Marriott hotel where Khachatryan was staying. Learning that I was a journalist and I wanted to see the painter, the door-keeper accompanied me to his room without making any inquiries. The willingness of the door-keeper seemed strange to me.

If only “welcome” wasn’t observed as coming to Armenia is an event. I come to Armenia every year, often without any mission. I come to meet myself, to become an entity. The bond between a person and birthplace is mysteriously deep and versatile. I come to breathe the air of my homeland, to pass through the streets I have passed in the years of my childhood and youth, to see the places of which I have dear memories. I need this all most of all in the world. I want to listen to the frank conversation of the Armenian taxi-driver, to exchange a word or two with the shoemaker. I want to feel the breath, the colour which is so harmonious to the rhythm of my blood, to the miniature of my soul, to the content of my heart. Fatherland is my point of support in this great world.